Training

Workplace first aider: the CNESST training

Who must have first aiders, how many per shift, the 16-hour training, the certificate valid for 3 years and the CNESST subsidy.

October 10, 2026 · Lire en français

Training

In Quebec, a workplace first aider is neither an ambulance attendant nor a paramedic. It is a worker whom the employer designates and has trained to give first aid to co-workers. The framework fits in one regulation and one program of the CNESST (Quebec's labour standards and workplace safety board). This text applies to women and men alike.

The regulation

The text is called the Règlement sur les normes minimales de premiers secours et de premiers soins, chapter A-3.001, r. 10. The version read here is up to date as of June 1, 2026.

Section 2 applies it to every establishment and every construction site with at least 10 workers at the same time. It excludes health network establishments where qualified medical or nursing staff can give first aid.

Section 1 defines the first aider: the holder of a valid first aid certificate, or a nurse or nursing assistant, whom the employer or the principal contractor designates for this role.

How many first aiders per shift

Section 3 requires the employer to ensure that at least one first aider is present at all times during working hours when 50 workers or fewer are present at the same time. One more is needed for each additional hundred or fraction of a hundred. Workers present for less than 30 minutes do not count. Section 7 sets the same rule for the principal contractor on a construction site, starting at 10 workers.

Workplace	Workers present at the same time	First aiders required
Establishment (section 3)	50 or fewer	1
Construction site (section 7)	10 to 50	1
Establishment or site	51 to 150	2
Establishment or site	151 and more	1 more per group of 100
Forest management (section 6.1)	5 or fewer	1
Forest management	6 to 10	2
Forest management	More than 10	1 more per group of 5

On its page Formation de secourisme en milieu de travail, the CNESST states that teleworkers do not count in this calculation. It adds that in the forest, a first aider who has taken 40 hours of training specific to the forestry sector must be present as soon as there are 10 workers or more.

The training and the certificate

The training is part of the Programme de secourisme en milieu de travail (workplace first aid program), for which the CNESST is responsible. It lasts 16 hours, the CNESST writes, and leads to the workplace first aider certificate, provided the evaluation is passed. The certificate arrives by email.

Section 2.1 of the regulation entrusts the issuing of the certificate to an organization recognized by the CNESST. The training must provide the skills of the intermediate level of the CSA Z1210 standard and include a practical demonstration. The certificate is valid for a maximum of 3 years from the date it is issued. To renew it, the training must be taken again.

The CNESST publishes the Liste provinciale des organismes de formation, Secouriste en milieu de travail on its Organismes de formation et formateurs page. Only the organizations on this list issue a valid certificate. The CNESST announces a revised recognition process there for fall 2026.

The CNESST subsidy

The CNESST pays for the training of a percentage of workers, depending on the sector of activity. It pays the subsidy to the training organization, not to the employer.

Sector	Share of workers whose training is paid
Establishments	5%
Construction	10%
Mines, except quarries	20%
Forest management, except sawmills	20%

This number applies to a 3-year period. Training already paid by the CNESST during this period is subtracted. The CNESST gives an example: an establishment with 220 workers is entitled to 11 subsidized trainings. If 2 workers there already hold a valid certification, 9 remain. Beyond that, the organization bills the employer.

To register a worker, the employer fills out the Demande de formation de secouristes form and sends it to a recognized organization.

What the employer must provide

Kits in adequate numbers, easy to reach and available at all times, compliant with the CSA Z1220 standard (section 4), kept clean, complete and in good condition (section 6)
A room for the first aider in an establishment or site with more than 100 workers (section 11)
A communication system with first aid services (section 12) and signage that makes it quick to find, like the kits (section 13)
A poster that gives the workplace, the role, and the first and last name of each first aider (section 14)
A register where the first aiders' reports are kept (section 15)

Section 18 makes these costs the responsibility of the employer or the principal contractor. Section 19 allows the designated person to be absent without loss of pay while obtaining or renewing the certificate. The employer pays travel expenses when the course is given 40 km or less from the workplace.

The difference from the first responder and the paramedic

The first aider acts in their own workplace, with their co-workers, because their employer designated them. The first responder belongs to a service designated by a municipality and responds when assigned by the health communication centre, under the Act respecting pre-hospital emergency services. The paramedic, the primary care paramedic, then takes charge of the call and handles transport. See Becoming a paramedic.

This text summarizes a regulation and CNESST pages. It is not legal or union advice.

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Frequently asked questions

How do you get a workplace first aider certificate?

Tell your employer you want to become a first aider. The employer registers you with a training organization recognized by the CNESST. The training lasts 16 hours and the certificate is sent to you by email if you pass the evaluation.

What is the CNESST subsidy for workplace first aid?

The CNESST pays for the training of 5% of the workers in an establishment, 10% on a construction site and 20% in mines and forest management. This number applies for 3 years. The money goes directly to the training organization.

What are the duties of a workplace first aider?

The CNESST writes that the first aider has a duty to provide first aid. Under section 15 of the regulation, the first aider then fills out a report with their name, the name of the injured worker, the date, the time, a description of the injury or illness and the nature of the first aid given. On a construction site, the first aider wears a hard hat marked with a cross, according to section 14.

What is the ratio of workplace first aiders?

In an establishment, 1 first aider is required for 50 workers or fewer present at the same time, 2 from 51 to 150, then 1 more per group of 100, under section 3 of the regulation. In forest management, 1 is required for 5 workers or fewer and 2 from 6 to 10.

How do you become a workplace first aider?

You become one by designation. Section 1 of the regulation defines a first aider as the person whom the employer or the principal contractor designates for this role and who holds a valid first aid certificate, or who is a nurse or nursing assistant. The certificate is valid for a maximum of 3 years. To remain a first aider, the training must be taken again.

How much does workplace first aid training cost?

The regulation sets no price. The designated worker does not pay. Section 18 of the regulation makes the costs the responsibility of the employer or the principal contractor, and section 19 guarantees the worker's pay during the course. The CNESST pays for the training of a share of the workers and pays this amount to the training organization. Beyond that number, the organization bills the employer.

Is a defibrillator mandatory at work in Quebec?

No. The Règlement sur les normes minimales de premiers secours et de premiers soins, up to date as of June 1, 2026, does not contain the word defibrillator. It requires first aiders, kits compliant with the CSA Z1220 standard and a communication system with first aid services. Our article on the defibrillator and the law reviews the texts in force.